What Is the 5S Methodology?

Have you ever tried to locate a small object in a messy closet, or to prepare a favorite meal on a cluttered countertop? Chances are, you were unable to quickly find what you were looking for — which interfered with your ability to complete the task efficiently. Even familiar tasks are far more challenging when you can’t easily obtain what you need due to a disorganized or overcrowded space.

The 5S methodology was created to help the manufacturing industry address exactly these kinds of issues, so organizations can remain more agile and competitive. In fact, the 5S philosophy might best be summarized by the time-honored adage,

If you’re familiar with Japanese author and TV personality Marie Kondo, then you may have heard of the “KonMari” system. Kondo developed this method to help simplify, clear, and streamline cluttered living spaces. Those who practice KonMari have reported a sense of enhanced focused, improved decision-making, and more effective prioritization.

Imagine these dynamics applied to your own manufacturing work areas, and you begin to understand why it’s well worth exploring 5S in greater detail. 5S may primarily involve simplification — but its origins, influence, and advantages are richly multifaceted.

5S Meaning: Origins and Elements

It is perhaps unsurprising that this widely heralded method for efficiently organizing manufacturing workspaces was originally developed in Japan. Tourists — and those who have seen photographs and videos of Japanese villages and landscapes — often notice a distinctive orderliness, serenity, simplicity, and symmetry that pervades the entire culture. Japanese gardens and bonsai trees are methodically pruned and tended. Streets are often strikingly free of debris. Many of the shops and gathering areas are meticulously neat and tidy. Orderly spaces and processes seem to be inherently valued, even revered.

So, it’s no surprise that 5S had its early origins in the Japanese automotive industry. It was initially part of the Toyota Production System (TPS), created in the 1950s by the Toyota Motor Company to help the organization become more agile in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Toyota sought to radically eliminate any part of the automotive production process that contributed to muda, the Japanese word for “waste.”

A key component of this overall strategy involved rearranging and organizing the shop floor in a way that would keep it consistently neat and orderly. This minimized the amount of time spent hunting for tools and equipment. It also reduced unnecessary movement that removed focus from the core tasks at hand, and it reduced the misplacement of raw materials. As described in our article on the history of 5S, this burgeoning 5S framework contributed to the conception of lean production. For now, let’s explore the 5S methodology as it has evolved to exist today.

5S Methodology: Sequential Simplicity

As the TPS framework became more established over time, the system began to coalesce around five core focus areas. Each of these areas could be described using a word that began with the letter “S,” which is what inspired the 5S name. Here are the original Japanese terms for these core elements, each of which specifically describes a sequential step of 5S:

5S Japanese Words

As we discuss here, TPS led to significantly increased productivity. It was only a matter of time before Western manufacturing organizations began taking notice, and the 5S system solidified into a paradigm that became substantially more widespread. Eventually, the original Japanese terms were translated into English counterparts that also began with the letter “S.” These English language equivalents are as follows:

5S Meaning in English

At their core, these 5S activities build the discipline needed for substantial and continuous improvement by creating (and sustaining) efficient and effective work areas.

Manufacturing Evolved 5S, and 5S Shaped Lean Manufacturing

Are all the above concepts simple and clear-cut in meaning? Absolutely. Yet applying them consistently requires considerable discipline. Said another way: While the 5S process is straightforward and cost-effective to implement, it is not necessarily easy.

Through dedicated practice and incremental progress, manufacturing organizations undertaking a 5S initiative can create more efficient, organized work areas that lead to sustained, continuous improvement — the Japanese concept of kaizen.

TIP

Propelled by burgeoning 5S principles, the resounding success of the TPS program helped Toyota — and then other Japanese automotive manufacturers — produce dependable and long-lasting, yet reasonably priced products. When the rest of the world began taking notice, however, there was initially some skepticism that these Japanese-inspired methods may not be readily transferrable across cultures.

Toyota proved them wrong when they started building U.S.-based manufacturing plants and implementing this same system. That’s when 5S really came into its own, and it began laying the foundations for lean manufacturing across industries worldwide. Adherence to 5S standards is considered the foundation of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and an integral part of the Toyota Production System (TPS). 5S also creates a stable platform from which Kaizen activities can be launched.

The 5S methodology is a time-tested and highly regarded manufacturing framework that can help you substantially improve workplace organization, cleanliness, output quality, employee pride, and safety.

5S is designed to be cost-effectively implemented using resources you already have in place.

TIP

5S is firmly rooted in lean production principles, strongly aligned to the idea of comprehensive assessment that fuels gold-standard manufacturing metrics like OEE, and proven effective across industries around the world. Investing in your awareness of 5S, along with disciplined and dedicated implementation over time, can yield significant dividends that support your ongoing productivity, team collaboration, and success.

5S is a low-investment, high-impact lean manufacturing tool that is predicated on people. It engages operators in “owning” their workspace and helps to instill a culture of quality, productivity, and improvement.

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